LAPD Chief Charlie Beck to retire this summer
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck announced Friday that he will retire this summer, ending an eight-year tenure in which he shepherded the department through crippling budget woes, a stubborn uptick in crime and a national outcry over police killings of black men.
Beck, who followed his father's footsteps in joining the LAPD and forged a career that spanned four decades, made the abrupt announcement during a news conference held Friday with Mayor Eric Garcetti to discuss the city's crime trends, drawing gasps from some in the room.
The chief grew teary-eyed as he talked about his decision to retire, drawing a pat on the back from Garcetti. The timing was right for many reasons, Beck said. He felt the right city leaders were in place to choose from a "great generation of
